Amazon.com
After decades of abuse and spittle, Major League umpire Durwood Merrill strikes back with some pretty incisive, funny, and no-holds-barred anecdotes. When his book stays in the game, it's a real hoot, light and folksy; how can you not laugh with a guy who can admit that "Folks around the American League say I've sent a few pitchers to the Hall of Fame before their time because my strike zone tends to swell like George Steinbrenner's ego"? It's his own ego, though, that has him swinging for the seats and coming up short; he's not much of a memoirist. Thankfully, like a good umpire, he keeps his personal interference to a minimum and mostly sticks to business, offering some tough prescriptions for what ails the game, and some solid dissection of the intricacies of his craft. His thoughts on Pete Rose might lead you to believe that Charlie Hustle is the book's title character. -- Jeff Silverman, Sports editor
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Sports fans will enjoy this flamboyant author's uplifting story of his ascent from a simple life as a Midwestern farmboy to one of the big leagues' premier umpires. In a down-to-earth and oftentimes outspoken style, Merrill calls them like he sees them when it comes to his views on major-league players, managers, and the commercialization of our national pastime. Adams Morgan's fast-paced, energetic narration fits Merrill's bold, self-assured personality and conveys his passion for the craft of calling major-league baseball games. Like most sports biographies, this entertaining program should circulate well in public libraries large and small.?Mark Tierney, Charles Cty. Pub. Schs., Waldorf, MD
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
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